I write this before leaving for my meeting at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA. I hope you enjoyed Father Jim Bracke, CSC last week and I hope you enjoy Father Larry Henry, CSC, this Sunday. I am most grateful that they could fill in for me.
Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in the parish. Please do something nice for your father today, even a little prayer would be good.
In today's Gospel we have Jesus asleep in a boat that the disciples think is about to sink. They wake him up "and he said to the sea, 'Quiet! Be still!" The sea obeyed him. The disciples were filled with awe and asked "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?" Our first reading from Job tells us who he is. God addressed Job out of the storm and said that he alone set the sea in place. If Jesus could control the storm and the sea, then he is God. In our second reading St. Paul tells us "So whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." Like Paul we know who Jesus is because of his death and resurrection. We know that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We know that Jesus is the manifestation of the invisible God. God so loved us that God sent Jesus to be one of us to show us how to live and to offer us salvation.
We continue to have our usual Sunday Masses at 8:15 and 10:30 AM. If you are fully vaccinated, you don't need a mask, but you can of course wear one if it makes you more comfortable. If you are not vaccinated, please wear a mask. Part of the church is marked off for social distancing. The rest is not. Lora Wade continues to sing at 8:15 and most of the choir is back for the 10:30. If you have not picked up your envelopes for this year, they are still available in the foyer. I want to thank once again all who have continued to support the parish financially and through prayer during the pandemic. We have managed to keep on keeping on. The Soup Kitchen is still open MWF from 11 AM - 12:30 PM, thanks to our wonderful volunteers and our generous benefactors. Our St. Vincent de Paul still helps the needy on a regular basis. Cheryl and Francine still record the 10:30 and put it on line. Children's Church has started again.
As I've mentioned before, I am in a meeting of Holy Cross priests and brothers in PA. It should end this week and I'll be back by the 25th. If there is an emergency in the meantime please contact Deacon Mel. Please keep me in your prayers.